Star Wars: Tales of the Hunter
by clonetrooperkev
Summary: Clone Troopers are some of the most feared warriors in the galaxy. Direct, obedient, and deadly, these warriors fight for the Republic. Some Troopers, however, don't fight. They're assigned to searching the galaxy for resources, allies, and hope. One Clone makes the discovery of a lifetime. One that could change the very war he's a part of. For good and for bad.
1. Chapter 1

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

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Star Wars:

Tales of the Hunter

_It is a time of war in the Galactic Republic. Several star systems have broken from the Union and declared open rebellion. To combat this threat, an Army of Clones was commissioned, led by the guardians of the Republic, the Jedi Knights._

_ The Separatist forces, led by Count Dooku, a master of the Dark Side, draws the conflict even further, exhausting both the Clones and the Jedi Knights. All for the purpose to serve a far more powerful menace. _

_ With the war dwindling the resources of the Republic, scouts are sent out to find new sources of supplies. A small ship, piloted by two recon troopers have found their way into an unknown system at the edge of the galaxy, in the hopes of keeping the Republic alive..._

In the deep black void of space, a ship appears in the blink of an eye, alone. Inside this ship, are two Clone Troopers, warriors for the Republic. Clones were raised from birth to be soldiers, professional, dedicated, and deadly. Most Clones have a strong sense of brotherhood with one another. These two however-

"When we get back CT-6547, I'm requesting an immediate reassignment." They couldn't stand one another. CT-6547 was not your average Clone. He responded to orders, did them to the best of his ability, and was a proficient warrior, like every other Clone. But he was very poor at socializing.

"I'll put the request in myself, 'Blazer'." Blazer was your average Clone, but a bit more of a talker. One might say he was a bit of a loud mouth. CT-6547 would say that he never shuts up. "We just scan this system, and then we're done."

"See? You follow the orders, but our job is the most boring job in the galaxy: scanning unknown derelict systems for supplies. We don't even land, we just mark it on a map and leave. Clones were made to blow up droids!" Blazer had a romantic view of the war.

"We were made to follow orders, and to die for them if necessary." What took many Clones to see after years of warfare, took CT-6547 mere months in basic to figure out. Clones were made to fight and be expendable. He blamed it on whoever was watching his pod when he was growing in it. They should have ironed out the deficiencies in his programming. Now he view the war as a terrible thing that was meaningless.

"You're just so damn depressing, CT-6547." Blazer slumped into his chair. "And when can I give you a nickname?"

"I told you," CT-6547 said as he put in a few numbers into the flight computer, "I don't want a nickname." At birth, Clones are given a numbered designation. Numbers to differentiate between the Clones. Many Clones however, decided to use nicknames instead. You might hear names like, "Rex, Bly, Boil, or Cody." Many nicknames were given in basic training, and if not there, given on the battlefield. But CT-6547 didn't make friends in basic. He was too quiet there. And on the field, well, he was on the field.

His life consisted of flying a small ship with little armaments, into a dead end part of the galaxy to scan for resources. He'd get different co-pilots too. Some were loudmouths, like Blazer. Others were quiet, not wanting to socialize with someone with no name. And for many occasions, CT-6547 was alone. Piloting a small ship, in nowhere space, looking for something that would most likely be found in the known galaxy.

There were parts of CT-6547 that were made as intended however, he was still happy to be serving the Republic. The Republic was the best thing out there for someone like him. So he kept going on, in the hopes that one day, he could leave and go about doing whatever he wanted to do, or at least that's what the general belief was. But he thought on what he wanted to do. He had time to think about it. He could be a surveyor for the Republic. It was the same thing he was doing now, except he could land on the planets if he so chose. It all depended on what the Republic wanted to do with the Clones. But that would come at the end of the war, which appeared to him to be a ways off.

"Fine." Blazer put in a few algorithms into the computer to scan the system they were in. "Scan initiated. Anything out of the ordinary should come up immediately. And then we can leave this Force forsaken system." He looked at a sparse map of the system on his display. "What do they even call this system?"

"UR-783." CT-6547 said. "This place hasn't been surveyed since the formation of the Republic." Blazer shook his head in disbelief.

"The Republic was formed thousands of years ago." Blazer looked at the map again for clues on this little mystery. "No one has been out here since then?"

"The surveyors were Jedi." 6547 looked out at the abandoned space. "They gave the Republic Military the files only a short time ago."

"For being Defenders of the Republic, they don't really work with the Republic all that well, do they?" Blazer continued looking at the map.

6547 shook his head and checked the computer for an update. It had picked something up.

"Anomaly?" Blazer asked.

"A Gravitational Anomaly." 6547 corrected. "And it's a big one."

"Guess we better investigate it, right?" Blazer asked.

"It's in the job description, I'm setting coordinates." 6547 typed into the navigation computer.

"I hope it's nothing. The longer we're here, the longer I have to put up with you, 'the Bore'." Blazer laughed at 6547's nickname.

"The longer we're out here, I become more susceptible to your idiocy." 6547 activated the hyperdrive and went on their way.

!

Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, former protege of Princess Celestia, and now: Princess of Equestria. She still had to get used to that. She had just finished, "Court Mannerisms for New Royalty" for the fifth time in a row. The responsibility of it all was overwhelming. She sat at her desk, looking at all the other books she had read. They helped in a way, but there was nothing to help her become the inspiration that ponies expected her to be. She sighed and closed the book, looking out her window at the night sky. Princess Luna, her colleague now, was preparing a festival to honor Twilight. There was a knock at the door.

"Twilight? They're almost ready to start." It was Spike, her faithful assistant.

"Thanks, Spike. I'll be there in a bit." Twilight had a sense of sadness in her voice. Not very common for her.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" Spike asked. Twilight shook her head.

"I don't know Spike." She walked away from her desk and left her room. "I think it's all getting to me. The weight of all this." She looked around her library, thinking of a simpler life when she wasn't an Alicorn.

"I know you can handle it, Twilight. Besides, I'll be helping you." Spike said proudly. "Your number one assistant will always be here to help." Twilight smiled and hugged Spike.

"Thank you, Spike." The sadness in her voice was gone, but not within herself. She opened the door and looked up at the night sky. The stars were shining quite brightly. On the ground, the festival was about to begin. Ponies from all walks of life were having fun. But at soon as Twilight passed by them, they all bowed in reverence to her. She sighed and continued toward the center of town where the big event Luna planned would take place. The town was filled with decorations of all kind, honoring the night sky. When she reached the center of town, Luna was sitting on a large stage looking at the sky. She looked down at Twilight and smiled.

"Twilight! It's so good to see you again!" She flew down and nuzzled Twilight.

"You too Luna. This all looks so amazing!" Luna looked back at the stage, which was quite bare.

"The stage is a stage Twilight. Hardly an extraordinary thing." Luna chuckled a bit. Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile. "But the sky had to be perfect for tonight. I know the Summer Sun Celebration is close, so I want you to enjoy yourself a bit." The two began to walk around the festival. "Tell me, are you having any trouble with the ceremonial movements we have laid out?"

"A little. These wings are tougher to use than I had thought." While Twilight was quite adept at most things, flying was a little tougher for her to grasp.

"Yes, well you still have time Twilight. I think you'll get it. For now, all you have to do is say, 'Thank you, Everypony. Please have a fun night!'" Luna proclaimed loudly and proudly.

"How long until we begin?" Twilight asked.

"Half an hour. Be up on the stage by then." Luna turned around back toward the stage while Twilight looked up again at the night sky. _I hope I can do this. _Twilight thought.

!

The Clone ship dropped out of hyperspace to the gravitational anomaly.

"Beginning scans." Blazer activated the sensors. 6547 looked out the window, trying to see what was effected. "This is getting weird."

"What is it?" 6547 asked.

"You know how everything orbits a star?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the star is the one in orbit of... something." Blazer showed the results of the scan.

"This has got to be a malfunction. Rescan it."

"It isn't a malfunction. Something weird is going on in this system." Blazer said looking around superstitiously.

"What's the star in orbit of? What other planets for that matter?" 6547 asked.

"No signs of other astral bodies, except for… a planet? The star is in orbit of a planet?" Blazer rubbed his helmet in disbelief..

"That's impossible." 6547 said bluntly.

"I know it is, but that's what it is." The two looked at each other and then back at the map. "I think I know why the Jedi never got around to scanning this area."

"Well, we're here now. Setting a course for the planet." 6547 punched in the coordinates and went off towards the planet.

"Shouldn't we report this?" Blazer asked. He had a point. Why not report in.

"We need visual confirmation. We have to be sure the scans are correct before we go reporting anything. For all we know, this could be a complete sensor failure." 6547 watched the stars as they drew closer to their location.

"What do you think we'll find?"

"Something at least. This is way beyond us." _I hope it's nothing._

!

"Citizens of Ponyville!" Luna loudly proclaimed. "Welcome to the first annual, "Shooting Star Celebration!" The crowd cheered wildly. "As you know, this festival was made in honor of the newest Princess of Equestria. May I present, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" The crowd cheered even more wildly. Twilight got up on the stage and looked at the sea of ponies before her. It was a bit much, until she saw the reassuring smiles of her friends, who were all in the front row. She smiled and gained confidence.

"Thank you, Everypony. Please have a fun night!" Twilight liked sticking to a script. Nothing like being stable. Luna smiled as her horn lit up.

!

The Clone's ship arrived over the planet. Sitting at a stable orbit.

"Looks like a life giving planet." Blazer said upon inspection. "Nothing out the ordinary."

"Except its mass is nowhere near the size even capable of trapping a star. So what's going on?" 6547 laid back into his chair and looked at the planet. "There's civilization down there. Maybe we can get the Jedi and-" Just then, an alarm blared from the computer. "What is it?" 6547 asked. Blazer turned on a monitor and saw a volley of meteors heading towards them.

"Meteors!" Blazer yelled. "Evasive action!" 6547 turned on the engines and tried to move out of the way. But it was too late. The meteors pounded the ship, hitting the engines. 6547 looked at Blazer, who wasn't strapped in.

"Blazer! Get your belt-" A meteor blasted through the ship, venting everything. Blazer screamed as he was pulled out into space. "Computer! Seal the breach!" A forcefield activated, sealing the ship from leaking any more air. "Damn it, Blazer. Why'd you have to go and be stupid." 6547 grabbed the controls again. He found that the meteors, and the ship were hurtling down towards the planet.

!

The Ponies looked across the night sky in amazement. A beautiful meteor shower had lit up everything. The Ponies began dancing and partying, while Twilight continued to look up at the sky.

"Do you enjoy my work?" Luna asked.

"Of course. It's so beautiful." Twilight said as she stared deep into the sky.

"You know, Twilight. If you need to talk about anything, you know I'm here right?" Twilight's smile was replaced with a sad frown.

"I know, Luna. This new level of responsibility is driving me crazy. I don't think- I- That's a big meteor, Luna." Twilight pointed towards the hot object in the sky. Luna looked at it.

"That isn't a meteor, Twilight." All the ponies looked up at the hot object coming towards them.

Meanwhile, on the ship, 6547 was pulling hard on the control stick. _Can't hit this town. Keep it up, Trooper!_ The ship flew right over the town and moved towards a clearing in a forest. "Emergency boosters activate!" 6547 cried. The computer complied and activated the rockets under the ship, causing the ship to crash land gracefully.

Smoke arose from the Everfree Forest. The Ponies screamed in panic.

"Remain calm everypony!" Luna yelled. Twilight looked towards the smoke.

"Luna, I've got a bad feeling about this."


	2. Chapter 2

Deep in the dark forest of Everfree, a ship had crashed. This ship belonged to the Galactic Republic, piloted by two of its soldiers, minus one. Inside the cockpit, the surviving pilot, CT 6547, struggled to gain his bearings.

_By the Force, my head. _CT-6547 opened his eyes. His helmet was unscathed surprisingly. He looked around the cockpit itself and found it relatively intact. The only thing that bothered him was the vacant seat next to him. _Blazer…_ CT 6547 didn't like him, but the death of any clone, any brother, was a personal loss to him. 6547 decided to mourn later, and work on the situation before him.

"Computer," a blinking sound rang through the cockpit. _Good, it's still working._ "Damage Report." The screen in front of him blinked into life.

The Screen Read as such:

LIFE SUPPORT: MINIMAL CAPACITY

ENGINES: OFFLINE

COMMUNICATIONS: MINIMAL CAPACITY

WEAPONS: MINIMAL CAPACITY

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: COMPROMISED

EMERGENCY ENGINES: DEPLETED

MEDICAL DROID: ONLINE

CARGO: INTACT

"Looks like the ship is mostly intact. Good." 6547 looked out the window. "Computer, is the atmosphere breathable?" The computer clicked and clacked until it gave an answer.

ATMOSPHERE: BREATHABLE

6547 got out of his seat and went back into the hold to gather weapons. _Protocol dictates to secure the perimeter. Then I can repair the ship._ In the hold, he opened up a footlocker holding the weapons he needed. A blaster rifle with an electro shock attachment for droids, a standard survival belt, a blaster pistol, and a thermal detonator. _Hopefully, I won't need it._ 6547 equipped his weaponry and belt and went to the hatch. _Just stick to protocol and everything should be okay… right?_

!

"Okay everypony, listen up!" Twilight and her friends sat on the edge of the Everfree Forest, with black smoke in view and animals pouring out of the forest. "Whatever crashed from up there might be dangerous. We'll need to take every precaution." Luna and her guards had to keep the peace in town. A commanding presence was needed.

"Ooh!" Chirped in Pinkie Pie. "Should we prepare a 'First Contact Party'?" Twilight tilted her head.

"I doubt it's anything like that." Twilight looked deep into the forest. "We have to make sure whatever crashed doesn't harm anypony."

"Ah'm sure it's fine Twilight." Applejack placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Whatever damage it did already did it on impact."

"Yeah," Pinkie interrupted. "But what if the ship's reactor went critical and destroyed EVERYTHING?!" Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Still though," Twilight reached out with her magic to get a sense of things. "It feels like a balance has been interrupted."

"The animals seem to have been stirred up," Fluttershy added. "We should make sure there aren't any injured animals." Twilight nodded.

"Fluttershy, Applejack, you're with me. Everypony else, make sure the town is safe."

"WHAT?!" A rather miffed Rainbow Dash yelled. "Why are you benching a star player? You need me out there!"

"C'mon Rainbow, this is serious. I need you to follow me on this one." Rainbow rolled her eyes and went back towards the town. Rarity smiled at Twilight.

"Good luck, Twilight. We'll make sure the town is safe." Rarity turned towards the town, followed by Pinkie.

"Don't you worry Twilight. Just make sure you use the intergalactic greeting when you meet the alien!" Twilight smiled. Spike walked up to Twilight and hugged her leg.

"Twilight, please be careful. Don't do anything crazy."

"Will do, Spike." Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack turned back towards the forest. "Alright, let's check it out!" With a concern look on Twilight's face, a determined look on Applejack's face, and a fearful look on Fluttershy's face, they entered the forest.

!

The hatch opened with a loud hiss, lowering the door for 6547 to exit the ship. He looked at the dark, bleak surroundings of the forest. _I should be careful, something may try to make me their dinner._ 6547 looked back at the ship and sighed. _It's going to take quite a while to get this thing repaired. But first. _

First he had to secure the area, make sure there's nothing that could interfere with his repair time. He readied his blaster and walked into the forest, turning on nightvision for better visibility. His armor, made up in green stripes, blended in well with the environment. He looked around the forest, taking a breath of fresh air into his lungs. This was the first time he had been on another planet besides the one he was born on. He crouched down and felt the grass below him in his hand. He smiled, until he saw animal tracks in the dirt. He shook his head, and focused on the scene around him. _The crash probably alerted the locals of that town. They may try to enter the forest and see what happened. _Just then, 6547 spotted some wildlife in the distance. 6547's sensor could tell it was some type of feral creature, but what gave it away were the creature's gold eyes, glowing with hunger. _Looks like these things weren't spooked. _He clicked the safety off his blaster and readied himself. _Doesn't look like they've noticed me yet. Guess they don't have my scent yet. But they are hunting something. _6547 scanned the around the forest, until he saw a peculiar sight. _Guess they're hunting that cattle over there. _

_Colorful creatures. _He saw three quadrupedal creatures. One purple, one orange, and the last creme colored. _This must be farmland. Poor critters don't know that they're about to be a meal… well a meal for someone they not supposed to be a meal for. _6547 kept his gun trained on the golden eyed creatures. As they went closer to the colorful critters, the more he could make out of their snarling teeth. _Maybe I can scare them off. The less I have around the ship the better. _He aimed down his sights…

!

"Ah could have sworn that thing crashed around here somewhere." Applejack took the lead in front of the three ponies and sniffed around. "Smoke's definitely smellin' a might stronger." Fluttershy looked around the forest and cringed.

"There's something out there," Fluttershy lurched forward, "-watching us." Twilight nodded.

"Keep your eyes peeled girls. Everyone and everything has been shakened up. Who knows what we'll-" Twilight's thoughts were interrupted as they heard loud growls.

"Did y'all hear that?" Applejack asked. Fluttershy and Twilight nodded. "Timber Wolves." As if on queue, two wolves jumped out at them, their fangs drawn, and breath foul.

"Get behind me!" Twilight yelled. Applejack and Fluttershy retreated behind Twilight. Applejack, ready to help. Fluttershy, curled up in a ball of fear. Twilight looked at the two wolves and prepared a spell. The wolves were about to jump her, until bolts of blue light appeared as if from nowhere and blasted the dirt around the wolves. Twilight retreated back, feeling the heat radiate from the ground where the bolts hit. The wolves retreated into the Tree line, scurrying off. Twilight looked down at the ground where the bolts landed. The dirt was black and smoking.

"What was that, Twilight?" Applejack asked. Twilight shook her head and looked from where the bolts came from. There was something rustling from that direction.

"Oh no." Fluttershy said, shivering. Twilight aimed her horn, Applejack ready to pounce. And out from the forest, came a strange white creature. It's face looked cold and still, it held some sort of metal tube, and it spoke in an unfamiliar tongue.

"Hetyu som ru shu." The creature spoke. Twilight's eyebrow rose as she looked back at Applejack, who was just as confused. "Y ntru gollla du sha." Twilight shook her head in disbelief. For one thing, she couldn't believe what she was seeing before her. Another thing, she never heard a language like that before.

"Um… hello?" Twilight meekly said. The creature backed up, startled. "It's okay, my name is Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends, Applejack and Fluttershy." The creature stepped toward them and tilted its head.

"Tsu ru tara some renga." Twilight still couldn't understand a single word it was saying. She thought about it. There'd be no way to understand each other, unless they could read each others-

"That's it!" Twilight lit up her horn. The creature stepped away from Twilight, raising its weapon.

"Um, Twilight?" Applejack stepped next to Twilight. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to use the memory spell. Except, I'll transfer in knowledge of our language into its head, and grab the language it speaks." Fluttershy stepped forward.

"Will it hurt it?" Fluttershy asked.

"No. It should only take a second." Just as Twilight finished speaking, a blast of purple energy sprang from Twilight's horn, to the creature. Twilight then got a view of the language. "His language is . . . Basic."

"It's a simple language?" Applejack asked.

"No. That's the name of it. I think I can make you girls understand it too." Twilight's horn brightened even further and fired out a shockwave of purple energy. The blast caused pain in the four for only an instant.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" The creature raised its weapon and pointed it at the three.

"Sorry!" Twilight apologized. "It was the only way we could understand one another." The creature kept its weapon trained on Twilight. Twilight cleared her throat and spoke.

"My name is, Twilight Sparkle. I am a citizen of Equestria." Twilight spoke fluently, and clearly. As best as she could manage, considering the threat before her. But she calmed down, as the creature lowered its weapon.

"My name is, CT-6547. I'm a soldier of the Galactic Republic." Everyone remained silent, keeping their gaze at one another.

"Well," Applejack spoke, "Pinkie was right. Aliens" She shook her head and smiled. "I owe her twenty bits."

"That's an odd name," Fluttershy paused, "Mr.?"

"CT-6547. I'm a recon trooper for the Republic."

Fluttershy tilted her head, "That IS an odd name."

"I don't even know your names. Just Twinkle Sprinkle-" 6547 looked over at Twilight who was giving him a deep glare. "Twilight Sparkle?"

"Right. This is Applejack and Fluttershy, friends of mine." The two ponies smiled. 6547 gave a slight nod and holstered his weapon.

"Listen, I need you three to clear the premises."

"Why?" Applejack asked.

"I've got a ship to repair. Can't have you all interfering." 6547 turned around back to his ship.

Applejack ran and stopped 6547. "I think the Timber Wolves might have something to say about that."

"Is that what those monsters are called?" 6547 asked.

"Yes," Fluttershy confirmed, "they will probably return soon."

"Well then," 6547 readied his blaster. "I guess I better get ready then. Clear the area." 6547 went around Applejack and began walking back to his ship.

"Hold on!" Twilight stepped forward. "You don't know anything about Timber Wolves."

"Can they be killed?" 6547 asked.

Applejack shrugged, "Well, yeah, but-"

"Then I just have to blast them." 6547 scanned the terrain. Fluttershy gasped.

"You can't just kill them!" 6547 turned around and asked:

"Why not?"

"They're just animals looking for food. Why punish them for that?" 6547 stepped towards her.

"Those creatures were about to make you dinner."

"They're acting on instinct! There's no need-" The four turned their heads to a loud series of snapping coming from where the wolves ran. 6547 readied his weapon.

"You all should get back to your town." 6547 aimed down his sights, scanning the forest. The helmet's different visions could only reveal so much.

"We can't just leave you." Twilight stepped next to 6547.

"Can't risk getting a civvie in trouble." They could hear the snarling of the wolves deep in the trees. "This isn't a negotiation. Get out-!" But it was too late. Four wolves jumped out of tree line in a tight group.

"They look a little hungry." Applejack gulped and backed away like her friends and the alien were doing. 6547 looked down at his belt and pulled out his Thermal Detonator. Twilight looked at it.

"What's that?"

"Something to feed the wolves." 6547 clicked it and threw it at the wolves. It dropped at the center of the group, which caused the wolves to smell the detonator. 6547 took the ponies and hit the ground, covering them. "Hold on!" As the wolves started to lose interest, the detonator exploded in a great vision of orange and red. Splinters of the wolf spread all over the place. When everything settled, 6547 got up and looked around. No more wolves. 6547 helped the ponies up. The three kept rubbing their ears.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"A Thermal Detonator. An explosive."

"You mean like dynamite?" Applejack asked.

"Somewhat. A bit more explosive."

"You- you destroyed them." Fluttershy looked at the splinters all over the forest floor.

"I did what I had to do." 6547 looked around.

"Well," Twilight said as she shook the wood shavings out of her hair, "Thank you for protecting us, CT-6547."

"Yeah!" Applejack agreed. "You're quite the hunter." Fluttershy was getting teary eyed. 6547 looked down at Fluttershy and kneeled down next to her.

"I'm sorry about blowing those things up. They were going to kill us. You get that right?" Fluttershy sniffled.

"It's just- I have a connection to the animals. You know?" 6547 turned his head to the burned crater he created. _I don't get it. But the rule book says not to make civilians turn against you._

"I- uh- I understand." 6547 rose up. "You all should get back. I need to repair my ship." Applejack poked his side.

"There is a small detail ah may have forgotten in all that action." Unbeknownst to them, the shavings began to pull together.

"And what detail was that?" 6547 asked.

"Those things can reform together to make something bigger."

"How much bigger?" The three ponies looked skyward and shrank down a bit in fear. A shadow loomed over them. 6547 turned around and saw a giant wolf screeching at him.

"Oh," 6547 said as he raised his weapon in disbelief. "We're in some deep Bantha Fodder."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The four looked up at the intimidating monster before them. Applejack had seen the creature before and described it to her friends. She doubted she'd have the same luck of escaping she had before. 6547 had his blaster trained on the beast. It was almost as big as his ship. Applejack poked at his legs

"Got any more of them, 'Thermal Detonators'?" 6547 looked down at Applejack for less than a second and shook his head.

"That was my last one. Should have saved it." The wolf growled at the four, showing his fangs, which were quite sharp. But something caught its eye, a bright light in the distance. Ponyville. It growled and moved past the four, trotting to town.

"It's heading straight for Ponyville!" Fluttershy cried.

"Come on!" Twilight shouted. "We have to stop it!" The three ponies galloped away to save their town, save Applejack, who turned around and looked back at 6547.

"We could use your help, hunter." 6547 was still shocked with fear. He had survived a meteor shower, a crash landing, a pack of monsters, and another giant monster. He didn't want to push his luck.

"How can we take that thing down?!" 6547 asked. 

"Don't know." Applejack turned back to the town. Everyone she knew and loved was there. "All ah know is, ah gotta try." Applejack ran off towards the endangered town, leaving the clone alone.

He stumbled a bit and collapsed. This was technically his first combat experience. He had received the training, he had been disciplined, but killing for the first time was something else. He looked down at his blaster. It hadn't been fired before, but he was happy its first action was in defense of innocent creatures. But he also knew, that its job was still not done. He looked toward the town and swallowed. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he had to try. He had to do something. He got up on his feet and rushed toward the town, readying himself for the combat to come.

!

There was something in the air. That's what Dinky Do felt. Dinky was the daughter of the town klutz, Ditsy Do. Dinky was sitting with her mother in the park while they shared meal during the festival. Ditsy, with her cross eyes, looked down at her daughter with concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong, my little muffin?" Many claimed that Ditsy had an obsession with muffins. They were a little right. Ditsy loved muffins. But this was a nickname she gave her daughter out of love. "Are you sad, Sparkler isn't here?" Sparkler, Ditsy's daughter, Dinky's sister, was out with her friends, enjoying the festival. Dinky, was not quite old enough to join them.

"It's not that, Mom." Dinky always felt a little queasy when trouble was around. Like when her Mom would leave something in the oven for far too long. Or when the latest monster attack would happen. "I just, I don't know. I feel… disturbed." Ditsy smiled.

"Well when that fireball was over our heads, it's no wonder you feel disturbed." Ditsy looked around at the festival. Princess Luna had done a good job of calming the crowd down. Apparently it was just a rock that got away from her. They were never in any REAL danger.

"It's not that. It's… well it's something else." Dinky looked around Ponyville. Trying to see if anything was off. The feeling was getting stronger.

"Dinky?" Ditsy asked, "Do you want to go home?" She wrapped Dinky into her hooves to calm her down. At that moment, a roar rang through Ponyville. The townsfolk looked where the roar came from and saw a monster. A King Timber Wolf. It gave the town another mighty, terrifying roar. Ponies cried in fear and ran in all different directions.

In the town center, Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood their ground. Luna frowned at the creature.

"How dare that creature interrupt the festival!" Luna flew into the air and charged toward the monster, with the three ponies following suit. It is very rare for a monster such as a Timber Wolf to defeat a Princess of Equestria such as Luna. This time, the monster was in the process of destroying a building and debris was flying everywhere. One bit of rock smacked Luna in the head, knocking her out of the sky and into the ground.

"PRINCESS LUNA!" The three cried. They rushed to her aid and pulled her into cover, away from the Wolf, who might try to capitalize on its downed almost opponent. As fortune would have it, the Wolf turned away from the group, and continued its path of destruction in Ponyville. The three hovered over their downed Princess in shock. Rainbow Dash, the first to snap out of it, rose up and turned toward the Timber Wolf in the distance.

"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie cried out. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kick that wolf's flank." As soon as she was about to fly off, she was grabbed by Rarity's magic.

"Calm down, dear." Rarity calmly said as calmly would allow. "You can't face that brute alone."

"Yes I can!" Rainbow struggled against Rarity's magic. "That thing is going to hurt more ponies! Somepony has to stop it!"

"I agree." The three ponies turned their heads to see Twilight Sparkle with Applejack and Fluttershy in tow. "We'll stop that thing!"

"But how?" Rarity asked. Twilight frowned and tried to think of a plan.

"Well," Applejack began, "The last time ah saw a wolf that big, me and Spike managed to choke it with a big boulder. We got lucky though." Twilight looked around and suddenly realized something.

"Where's Spike?!" Rarity wrapped a hoof around Twilight's shoulder.

"We sent him to Canterlot to tell Princess Celestia about the meteor. Took the last train out." Twilight smiled at Rarity and looked towards the wolf.

"But how can we take him down?"

"You hit him in his weak spot." Everyone turned around. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow gasped in surprise. It was 6547, gun drawn and walking towards the group.

"What is that… _THING?!"_ Rarity cried out. Rainbow Dash charged towards 6547.

"Whatever it is, it's going down!" Twilight popped in front of Rainbow Dash.

"Easy there, Dash!" Twilight calmed her friend down with her magic. She pointed a hoof at 6547. "He's a friend."

Pinkie Pie was giddy with excitement. Bouncing everywhere, forgetting the situation she was in.

"An alien! I was right! THIS IS GREAT!" She bounced in front of 6547. "I have so many questions! Why are you here? Where are you from? Is that your skin? Are you friend or foe? How do you prefer your ponies cooked? Are you here to eat us? Are you peaceful? What's the meaning of life-" Pinkie Pie was interrupted by Applejack, who had stuck a hoof into her friend's mouth.

"Sorry, sugarcube, but we've got bigger problems right now." She turned to 6547. "You've got a plan, hunter?" 6547 shook his head. He hated nicknames. She looked towards the wolf and rubbed his chin.

"Do you have any firearms? Weapons?" The six ponies shook their heads. "Figured." 6547 looked at his rifle. Regular blaster fire wouldn't take it down. He then noticed the electro shock attachment on his rifle. He smiled underneath his helmet. "This could work."

"What could?" Twilight asked. 6547 turned around.

"My rifle has an attachment that produces electricity. It's mostly used on electronics, but…"

"But we can use it to shock its nervous system!" Fluttershy spoke. Everyone looked at her. "In animal medicine, doctors use electricity to stun the patients."

"Right." 6547 said. He turned the attachment to its max setting. "We just have to find the right spot to hit." Twilight looked closely at the beast. She hummed in thought, until-

"That's it! It's neck!" Twilight pointed at the back of her neck. "If you hit that, you'll take it down instantly."

"How am I going to get close enough to fire it though?" Applejack pounded her chest.

"Leave that to us, hunter. We'll distract it long enough for you to take it down." 6547 rolled his eyes. _Again with the stupid nickname_. He looked at the beast, which was currently making a hut its dinner.

"How do I get up there?" Twilight smiled.

"I can get you up there with my magic!" 6547 tilted his head.

"Magic?"

"Yeah! Don't worry, it's completely safe." 6547 decided to leave it alone. Job first, questions later.

"Alright. Let's get the job done." 6547 tested the electric shock. Working perfectly.

After leaving Princess Luna in a safe area, the five ponies moved towards the wolf. Rainbow ran up next to Applejack, who was leading the group.

"AJ," Dash whispered, "Are you sure the alien can be trusted?" Applejack turned her head and smiled.

"He saved us twice, Dash. I'm sure he's not doing anything sinister."

"But you don't know for sure." Rainbow looked over to where Twilight and 6547 were setting up. "I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone at first. But trust me on this, the hunter is going to get this job done." The group stopped just behind the wolf. Applejack picked up a stone and tossed it at the wolf. "HEY, UGLY!" The wolf turned around and growled at the five ponies. "Betcha can't catch us! MOVE!" The five split off into different directions, confusing the wolf. It growled and chased after Rarity.

"Did we have a plan for after he started chasing us?!" Rarity turned into an alley, far too small for the wolf to wolf was relentless, and continued snapping at the opening, until Rainbow Dash flew down and smacked the wolf in the head.

"Hey! Follow me!" The wolf snarled and lunged for Dash. She dodged and flew off, just slow enough for the wolf to keep interest.

Meanwhile, 6547 and Twilight waited for the right moment. Twilight tapped 6547's leg.

"Are you all set?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." 6547 checked his rifle's level. It was fully charged and ready to be let loose. He looked at Twilight's horn, which was starting to light up. "What did you mean by Magic?" Twilight frowned.

"You don't have magic?"

"We have something called, 'the Force'." Twilight saw the wolf coming.

"You're going to answer every single question I have after this." 6547 nodded. Her magic wrapped around him.

"Just give me a little warning before you- WHOA!" Twilight sent 6547 flying into the air. He looked down and saw he was falling towards the wolf. "DAMN IT!" 6547 landed on the wolf's back, who appeared to not notice the Clone on his back. 6547 was not quite where he needed to be to stop it. He grabbed onto its bark and started to pull himself forward. It was difficult though. He was pulled in every single direction by gravity. He looked up at the wolf's head. "Damn beast." He finally reached the neck and grabbed his rifle. He pointed the business end at the neck. "You're done." He pulled the trigger.

The ponies looked in shock as the wolf lit up with brilliant light. It staggered, and then collapsed with a mighty boom. The wolf then began to disintegrate into wood chips. The ponies rushed over to the pile. Many onlookers gathered there too. The chips rustled, startling some ponies, thinking the beast was alive. What emerged came as an even bigger shock. 6547 rose from the chips, holding his smoking rifle up high. Twilight and her friends cheered and rushed over to their new friend.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash nuggied 6547's helmet.

"I told you he was a hunter!" Applejack laughed and roughly patted 6547 on the back.

"You deserve a party, Mr. Hunter!" Pinkie Pie poked at 6547's legs.

"You saved the entire town, thank you." Fluttershy smiled and tapped 6547's hand. The congratulations were interrupted however when Princess Luna approached the seven. Luna's eyes widened in surprise at the sight before her. Luna walked forward and eyed 6547 from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Luna asked. 6547 pushed the ponies away and was about to speak when Pinkie Pie spoke up.

"His name's Hunter, I think. He saved everypony!" 6547 stepped forward.

"No, no. That's not-" Luna held a hoof up.

"Nonsense! That credit goes to all of you! Well done, everypony." Luna looked back at 6547. "And thank you, Hunter." 6547 sighed.

"That's not my-" Applejack stepped forward.

"Hey everypony! This guy saved the town! Let's hear it for, Hunter!" The crowd was slow at first, still taking in the sight before them. But soon an applause of hoofs and cheers rained throughout the town. 6547 looked around at all the ponies cheering. They began to chant, "Hunter", over and over again. 6547 sighed. _Guess the name's gonna stick. I'm not even programmed to be a hunter._ Hunter looked up at the sky. _How am I going to explain this to Command?_


End file.
